NCAA Tournament Odds: UNC, Gonzaga Favored In Friday’s Sweet 16 Slate
The Gonzaga Bulldogs can advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year with a win Friday, when they battle the Syracuse Orange as 4-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
No. 11 Gonzaga has performed far above its seeding at this year’s Big Dance, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen after knocking off a pair of higher seeds last weekend. Those victories extended its current straight-up win streak to seven games ahead of Friday night’s Bulldogs vs. Orange betting matchup at the United Center in Chicago.
The Bulldogs dominated in wins over No. 6 Seton Hall and No. 3 Utah, claiming double-digit victories as slim chalk in each contest to improve to 6-0-1 against the spread during their current tear.
No. 10 Syracuse halted a dismal 1-5 SU stretch with big wins last weekend, manhandling No. 7 Dayton in a 70-51 first-round victory before routing No. 15 Middle Tennessee 75-50 on Sunday as 6-point chalk.
The Orange have reached the Elite Eight in two of the past three years, going 6-3 ATS during that stretch. Low-scoring affairs also have been the norm for Syracuse at the NCAA Tournament, with the point total playing UNDER in eight of their past nine outings.
Also on Friday, No. 7 Wisconsin will look to continue its unlikely run toward a third straight berth in the Final Four when they meet No. 6 Notre Dame as 1-point underdogs.
The Badgers bounced back from a dismal performance in the Big Ten Tournament with decisive wins last weekend over No. 9 Pittsburgh and No. 2 Xavier, improving to 6-2 SU and ATS in their last eight games as underdogs.
The Fighting Irish are 5-1 SU in their past six March Madness contests, including a run to the Elite Eight last year, but have struggled to reward bettors with a 4-5 ATS record in their past nine overall.
No. 1 North Carolina faces a tough opponent on Friday when it meets No. 5 Indiana as a 6.5-point favorite.
The Tar Heels have won seven straight en route to their 12th March Madness appearance in 13 years, but have just one win in four all-time meetings with the Hoosiers, 0-4 ATS, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database.
And No. 1 Virginia will be gunning for its first Elite Eight berth in 21 years when it takes on No. 4 Iowa State as a 5-point favorite.
The Cavaliers have won seven of their past eight SU, and are undefeated ATS in their past four when favored by four or fewer points, while the Cyclones look to post their first Sweet Sixteen victory since 2000.
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
